Ann McDonald said she and her church have been "enriched" by efforts to be more inclusive toward gays and lesbians.

After all, she said, the Catholic church is supposed to have a strong sense of justice and moral obligation to help those in need, and that's what Reclaim at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Severn is all about.

"There's a lot of pain in the gay community over religious issues and how they can fit in," Ms. McDonald said. "A large component of Reclaim is reaching out to gays and lesbians who feel uncomfortable being part of a church. If you're going to preach the Gospel, you have to live it."

As pastoral associate at St. Bernadette on Stevenson Road, Ms. McDonald helped to found Reclaim in 1997 as a group for homosexual adults to ease the pain of alienation they felt toward the church and its teachings.

Today, she helps to preside over a group that has grown significantly, touching on issues such as the Catholic church's relationship with gay adults, as well as its relationship with the parents of gay children, gay families and even gay teenagers.

The newest branch of the group, called Recharge, is an alumni group for the more than 200 people who have completed Reclaim over the years and have joined Catholicism though baptism or reinvested in the faith through catechism and confirmation.

Some gay members join Reclaim if only to feel comfortable enough in their spirituality to attend Mass again, Ms. McDonald said.

The church's pastor said the newest incarnation of Reclaim will help graduates stay energized about, and connected to, Christianity, if only by knowing they're part of a larger religious family.

"Reclaim is about trying to touch people in a meaningful way," said the Rev. Domenic L. Cieri. "The church teaches its members to love and be loved in return, and we want to help gay and lesbian members feel wanted by the church and by God."

With a progressive congregation of 1,200 families at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, Ms. McDonald said there are plenty of ways for gays and lesbians, no matter their religion, to find acceptance and learn that being gay is not a sin.

With dozens of pamphlets about gay and lesbian issues in the church office and vestibule, straight congregation members have numerous opportunities to educate themselves and realize being gay is not an evil choice, Ms. McDonald said.

That was Katie Davis' outlook on her sexuality when she first joined in 1999, but she has since changed her tune.

Now the Glen Burnie resident tries to teach other Reclaim members about her journey and what it taught her about herself and her church.

"I joined after a breakup with a partner who thought we were doomed to hell," she said. "I felt I was doing something wrong, but with Reclaim, I found a place to be part of a larger gay and lesbian partnership as well as a church community. Now I feel like I am a role model for others who join Reclaim."

With the Catholic church struggling with a myriad of issues, Reclaim is a step ahead of many of the 161 churches in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

"Reclaim is a good gateway to educate people on the church's teachings," said Deacon Paul A. Weber, director of the Office of Ministry with Gay and Lesbian Catholics for the Archdiocese. "Many communities, quite frankly, are unfamiliar with issues of same-sex orientation."

According to Mr. Weber and Ms. McDonald, no one at St. Bernadette or The Archdiocese of Baltimore hierarchy has ever voiced any objections to Reclaim, even though some Catholic circles frown upon the practice of homosexuality.

"The issue is controversial and too many churches shy away from it instead of meeting it head-on," Ms. McDonald said. "It helps reinforce the need to educate people."

Ms. McDonald said she doesn't know what's in store for Reclaim as it heads into its seventh year, but she hopes participants act as role models For other gays inside and outside the church.

"I'd eventually like to see Reclaim not be necessary any more," she said. "Given the reality of the world, that's not likely to happen soon."

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pwilson@capitalgazette.com
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Published 11/30/03, Copyright © 2003 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.